Meadow Fritillary Butterfly

The Meadow Fritillary, (Boloria bellona), is a North American butterfly in the brushfoot family, Nymphalidae. The common name, Meadow Fritillary, is also used for a European butterfly species, Melitaea parthenoides. Meadow Fritillary Butterfly Description The upper side of the wings is yellow-orange with dark spots, lines, and zigzagged bands. The fore wing is squared off just below the apex. A dark border on the hind wing margin is lacking on most individuals. It has long palps. The underside of the wings are mottled with orange and purplish-brown. There is a yellowish band that runs across the center of the hind wing. It lacks the silver spots most lesser fritillaries have. The fore wing is smudged with orange and brown near the apex. The wingspan of the Meadow Fritillary is 3.5 – 5.1 cm (1 3/8 – 2 inches). Meadow Fritillary Butterfly Similar Species Similar species in the Meadow Fritillary’s range include the Silver-bordered Fritillary, (Boloria selene), the Bog Fritillary, (Boloria eunomia), and the Purplish Fritillary, (Boloria montinus).

The Silver-bordered Fritillary has rounder wings than the Meadow Fritillary, has a dark hind wing margin border, and has silver spots on the underside of the hind wing.

The Bog Fritillary is a bit smaller than the Meadow Fritillary, its wing bases are hairy, and on the underside of the hind wing are a series of bands and patches which are rust-red, yellow, and white.

The Purplish Fritillary is also a bit smaller than the Meadow Fritillary, and the underside of the hind wings are a deep, rusty red. Meadow Fritillary Butterfly Habitat The Meadow Fritillary is frequently encountered in wet, open places, including pastures, fields, and streamsides. Meadow Fritillary Butterfly Life Cycle The female is the active flight partner. Females deposit greenish-yellow eggs near the host plant on twigs or leaves. Mature larvae are gray and black with small, light colored spines. The chrysalis is yellow-brown. The Meadow Fritillary overwinters as a larva. It has 1-2 broods per year. Meadow Fritillary Butterfly Host Plants Here are a list of host plants used by the Meadow Fritillary: